Young
A Franklin man was convicted Thursday of dealing methamphetamine following a three-day trial.
A jury of Johnson County residents convicted Joseph L. Young, 44, of dealing meth as a level 2 felony and unlawful possession of a syringe as a level 6 felony following a trial in Johnson Superior Court 3. He also admitted to being a Habitual Offender after the jury’s verdict, which will likely elevate his sentence.
The charges stem from the seizure of over 20 grams of meth found in Young’s vehicle after Franklin detectives served an arrest warrant on him for an unrelated meth dealing case, explained Deputy Prosecutor Megan Smither, who tried the case.
“When arresting the defendant on the other dealing charges officers discovered the drugs that gave rise to this charge,” she said in a statement on the trial. “You can’t make this stuff up.”
The conviction is the result of the dedication of both police and prosecutors to make the community safer, said Lance Hamner, Johnson County prosecutor.
“The Franklin Police are working diligently to root out the criminal activity that threatens our community. The arrest and conviction of this drug dealer is another brick in the wall that keeps our homes and our families safe,” Hamner said in a statement on the trial. “I’m proud of our officers and our two deputy prosecutors Megan Smither and Shaina Carmichael who presented this case to a jury.”
Young will be sentenced on Sept. 25 at 1:30 p.m. in Johnson County Superior Court 3.
The level 2 conviction carries a sentence of 10 to 30 years, while the level 6 conviction carries a penalty of up to 2.5 years. The habitual offender enhancement could add an additional sentence of 6 to 20 years, Hamner said.
